‘Devil’s Disciple’ staged in Madison

With his insightful social commentary and his scathing wit, Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw is considered a revolutionary in the world of theater.

In his 1897 play, “The Devil’s Disciple,” Shaw addressed a revolution of a different kind: the American Revolution.

Set in New Hampshire in 1777, “The Devil’s Disciple” follows the intersecting paths of a rogue named Dick Dudgeon and a minister named Anthony Anderson.

Events force the man of faith to take action, while Dudgeon — the self-proclaimed “disciple of the devil” — is prepared to pay the ultimate price for the cause of freedom.

“It’s a play about what loyalty means, what sacrifice means and what personal integrity means,” says Paul Mullins.

Mullins is directing “The Devil’s Disciple” in a production at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey that runs from July 2 to 20. The show stars James Knight as Dudgeon and Paul Niebanck as Anderson.

The timing of the play is deliberate. Not only does the show coincide with Independence Day, it is being produced in the same year as the 350th anniversary of the charter that established New Jersey as a colony.

“The Devil’s Disciple” is the only Shaw play set in America, and that fact alone should intrigue audiences, Mullins says.

“It’s fascinating to read what an Irishman has to say about the earliest Americans and about the British who found themselves at war.”

Paul Niebanck feels that Shaw (who is known for his verbiage and somewhat elevated vocabulary) accurately captured the American mentality.

“He shows the independent spirit the colonists had in coming here in the first place,” he says.

“It’s a very big deal that Shaw was able to make his language work for an American voice,” adds Niebanck. “He understands from the gut place where the colonists are coming from. There’s a grit and a truth to the language.”

Niebanck and Mullins note that, as an Irishman, Shaw had more than one axe to grind against the British. However, they add that Shaw was able to articulate the British perspective, as voiced by the pragmatic Gen. Burgoyne (played by Edmond Genest).

“Shaw shows that the British live by a strong code of honor,” Niebanck says. “By the end, Burgoyne realizes that the British are going to lose, but they will still fight.”

“Dudgeon is kind of a bad boy and is attractive to a woman like Judith,” says Niebanck. “The scenes between my character and Judith are fascinating; they’re hearing each other, but they completely misunderstand each other.”

“It’s as much Judith’s story as it is Anderson’s or Dudgeon’s or Burgoyne’s,” agrees Mullins. “She’s the sounding board for the others. Her reactions are important.”

Niebanck feels that Shaw’s script strikes a balance between action and dialogue, as opposed to some of his more cerebral plays that traffic mainly in ideas and speeches.

“This is accessible Shaw,” he says.

“Shaw was always interested in intellectual arguments,” says Mullins. “But he shows them happening to real people. The story is told through intelligent discourse, through the characters, to make it real.”

Mullins adds that “The Devil’s Disciple” — though initially one of Shaw’s first commercial successes — is less well-known than some of the playwright’s other works, such as “Pygmalion.” Mullins feels that this should be a drawing point.

“A lot of people do not know this play, and that’s a thrilling thing,” he says. “People will come in with no idea of what is happening or how things will turn out. That’s what I look for when I see a play.”

Mullins also believes that the play will give audiences the chance to reflect on America from a different perspective. “This play speaks to us. It captures the weirdness of the moment in history: Who was on whose side? Who’s winning?”

“These are things we’ve heard about in history books, but we’ve never seen it told this way,” Mullins concludes. “It’s such a shock to realize that this is Shaw talking about us, about our country.”